Cissus Joint and Tendon Support

Called the “Bone Setter” in some cultures, Cissus quadrangularis is a traditional Indian medicine now used by modern athletes to treat bone and joint injuries, fight inflammation, and reduce joint pain.  Unlike the garbage traditionally peddled by supplement companies to treat joint pain (like shark cartilage, glucosamine, and chondroitin), cissus actually works, and has been shown to do so in multiple clinical studies.

Studies have shown that cissus is awesome for the following:

• Treating acute joint pain resulting from excessive exercise.  In hard training men who had no pathological joint issues, joint pain resulting from their training was reduced by almost a third with the use of cissus.
• Improving the functionality of the joint.  Athletes moved with a better range of motion and reduced pain in one study after being treated with cissus.
• Drastically reducing inflammation.  Cissus was shown in a clinical study to reduce inflammation even more than NSAIDs typically prescribed for arthritis.  
• Significantly improving the rate of bone regrowth.  It seems that it was aptly named in India, as one study showed that cissus had a profound impact on the rate of bone regrowth after a fracture.
• Possible weight loss.  Though it is likely due to the fact that it just foams in your stomach and reduces your appetite that way, cissus consumed prior to meals has been shown to induce fat loss.

To achieve the greatest effect with cissus for joint pain, studies have shown that a daily dose of 3,200mg of cissus quadrangularis was highly effective at reducing joint pain and inflammation, and that seems to match what worked in the animal studies as well. For bone regrowth, doses of 300mg were shown to be effective, and higher doses have not yet been studied.